To judge
correctly, we should not rely on first impressions alone.
Many
a time we judge people based on first impressions. We often make up our minds about people we meet for the first time within
the first few minutes.
A
panel of interviewers would immediately reject a job seeker who is unkempt, uncouth
and late for the appointment. At a party, men usually gravitate to ladies who are pretty, elegant
and approachable.
No
matter how hard we try to deny it, we are all influenced in varying degrees by
external appearance – that which is skin-deep.
When
the prophet Samuel went to the house of Jesse to anoint one of his sons as king
to replace King Saul, he was also influenced by first impressions.
Samuel
may have been trying to find a man similar to King Saul who was tall and
handsome. So when Samuel saw Eliab, one of Jesse’s sons with an outstanding athletic physique, he immediately jumped to the conclusion that the latter had the potential to be the future
king.
Eliab,
I think, must have been tall, dark and handsome. He probably had an athletic physique
with broad shoulders and an enviable six pack rectus abdominis.
But
God told Samuel that Eliab is not the one: “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have
rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people
look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”(1 Samuel 16:7).
To God, it’s the thoughts, intentions, faith
and character – qualities unseen by men – which matter more than the externals. *
The
sons of Jesse were presented, one after another, before Samuel. But God told the
prophet that they were not His choice. It is inconceivable that the most
unlikely candidate, David, the youngest son who was just a shepherd boy, was
finally chosen and anointed as king.
Let’s
not judge others only on the basis of first impressions. We should not just
rely on our senses or human understanding.
Instead, let’s cultivate this quality of
judging correctly: “Do not judge according to external appearance, but judge
with proper judgment"
(John 7:24). To do that, we would need spiritual discernment and a sound
knowledge of scriptures.
Footnotes:
*
This does not mean physical appearance is not important. We certainly need
to pay attention to our health, social etiquette and personal grooming. Surely
we would want to look presentable when we go for dates, interviews and prom
nights.
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TO JUDGE OR NOT
We hear this often enough: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”
However, there are instances when believers are called upon to judge wisely.
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